Improvement in fruit-driers



T.'B. HAMMOND & W. H. H. STEVENSON.

Fruit-Drier.

Patented May 20,1879.

WITNE INVEN'I'OBSI SHE'S N. PETERS. PNOTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASNINGYON, n O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

THOMAS B. HAMMOND AND WILLIAM H. H. STEVENSON, OF BALTIMORE, MD.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT-DRIERS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,608, dated May 20,1879; application filed April 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS B. HAMMOND and WILLIAM H. H. STEVENSON, ofBaltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Fruit-Briers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in the construction offruit-driers, the object being to provide an efficient and yetinexpensive apparatus for the use of fruit-growers.

Our improvement will first be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then designated in the claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the drier. Fig. 2 is a horizontalcross section taken through line 00 x in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation.

The letter A represents the furnace, which is in the form of ahorizontal cylinder, (having the door in the end supported above thefurnace,) and connecting with its rear end is a broad smoke-drum, B, thewidth of which is much greater than the furnace, and nearly as great asthe drying-house, while in the vertical direction the drum is quiteshallow, as shown, this shape effecting a distribution of the heat fromside to side of the house. i This effect is produced by the broadsurfaces exposed in the horizontal direction and by the fact that theheat radiated directly from the furnace must pass laterally beyond thesides of the drum before it can ascend to the drying-house.

The smoke-pipe O is attached to the drum and sustained in any suitablemanner. The furnace and drum are entirely inclosed by a sheet-ironcasing, D, at the bottom of whichprovision is made for the entrance ofcold air. The upper part of this casing, on the rear side, is cut away,and the cut-away part is covered, as hereinafter described.

Above the smoke-drum are two wooden division-boards, d e, which are ofsuch width that a space is left not covered. The ends of the boards reston a cross-strip,f, at each end of the house, which serve as a way onwhich to slide the boards. boards are covered with sheet metal, whilethe upper side is uncovered. This arrange- The lower sides of thesetralopening in each drying-tray, or part may be allowed to pass up thecenter and part up either one or both of the side spaces, or the centermay be closed and the heat directed up either side.

The construction is such that While there is a vertical space, 9, ateach end of the house between the wall and trays, there is no directconnection from the furnace to said end spaces.

On the same plane with the two divisionboards before described, and atthe rear side of the house, is a third division-board, t, which preventsthe direct escape of the heated air from the furnace to the rear sidespace. This division-board is also adapted to slide on the strip f, andto its outer edge is hinged a board, a, which latter ordinarily hangs byits hinges down the rear outer side in a vertical position, and servesto cover the opening caused by the cut-away part in the rear side of thesheet-metal casing. By this construction, if it should be found that theheat is so excessiveoas'to be detrimental to the fruit, the temperaturecan be almost instantly lowered by raising the board a and pushing itand board t inward to entirely out off communication from the furnace,and at the same time permit the heat to escape. from the inclosed spacearound the furnace.

As already indicated, each tray i has a longitudinal central opening,and may be .pro vided or not with a damper or valve, 70. The trays areof such width as to leave, when in position, a vertical side space nextto the wall n and a similar side space between the trays and doors 1).The tops of the walls of the house are surmounted by a suitable roof,which is provided with an outlet covered bya damper and cowl, L, topermit the heated air to escape when there is found to be an excessivedegree of heat. 4

A partition'board, q, is placed on each side edgewise to the roof, anddepends as low down as will permit the top drying-tray to slide in andout. This board is located. from the wall a a distance equal to thevertical side space before described.

A damper or valve, 1", is provided on each side wall next to the roof..This damper consists of aboard the length of the house, hinged on itsinnermost edge and resting on the wall, so as to be opened or closedfrom the ontsides being retained open or raised more or less by thebutton .9. It will be seen that the board, q serve to prevent the directescape through the side valves, r, of the heated air, which passes upthe center, and requires that such air should be deflected from the roofto pass under the board and then escape.

We claim- 1. In a fruit-drier, the combination, substantially asdescribed, of the horizontal cylindrical furnace A and the smoke-drum B,very shallow in the vertical direction, but much broader than thefurnace above which it is supported, and the adjustable division-boardsd e t, together of less width than the house.

2. In a fruit-drier, the combination, substa1rtially as described, ofthe drying-trays 2', each provided with a longitudinal central opening,the vertical side spaces between the trays and walls, and thedivision-boards d e t, together of less width than the house, the boards(1 6' being each provided with a rod, h, projecting; from the front.

3. In a fruit-drier, the combination, substantially as set forth, of thedivision-hoards d e it, together of less width than the house, theboardu, hinged to the outer edge of the board 15, and adapted to cover eitherthe opening in the side of the casing or to entirely cut off theheat ofthe furnace from the fruit-trays.

4. In a fruitalrier, the combination, as set forth, of the fruit-trayshaving a longitudinal central opening, the partition-board g on eachside of the house, and a damper or valve, r, on each side wall next tothe roof.

In. witness whereof we hereunto set our hands this 5th day of April,1879.

THOMAS B. HAMMOND. WILLIAM H. H. STEVENSON.

Witnesses CHAS. E. LEWIS, CHAS. B. MANN.

